DFSee version 14.5 16-05-2017 (c) 1994-2017: Jan van Wijk
=========================[ www.dfsee.com ]==========================
DFSee bootable USB stick
The DFSee bootable USB stick is a new bootable option to
be used for disk analysis and recovery with DFSee.
It offers booting on most modern PCs using a 128MB or larger
memory stick, some Linux magic, the DFSee bootable CD ISO and
a copy of the DFSee linux program. With this you can select
between using the DOS version of DFSee using FreeDOS, or the
DFSee Linux version using either the Linux Live CD ISO called
'Parted Magic' version 4.10, or the 'Ultimate Boot CD' that
includes a newer version of PartedMagic as well as a ton of
other useful disk and system related utilities. Both of these
need to be downloaded seperately, but are in the included
menu.lst file already.
+-----------------------------------------------------+
| Note: All (linux) programs used with this stick are |
| OPEN SOURCE (GPL), and are NOT MODIFIED for use |
| with DFSee. You can download the sources from the |
| respective websites mentioned in this document |
+-----------------------------------------------------+
| The imagefile supplied here is just a REPACKAGE of |
| the files from PenDriveLinux BootMyISO-v1.4.EXE, to |
| circumvent the use of Windows to create the stick. |
+-----------------------------------------------------+
Creating a bootable DFSee USB stick
===================================
There are two major tasks in making a bootable DFSee stick:
- Create the bootable stick itself, from the menu or manual
- Copy the additional files to the stick
Automated creation from DFSee menu
==================================
This is the easiest way to create the stick, and recommended for
most users. It will take a USB memory-stick or disk, and make
a bootable FAT32 partition up to 32Gb at the start, followed by
another FAT32 data partition taking up the rest of the space if
the stick was larger than 32Gb.
It can be found in the DFSee Scripts menu in EXPERT mode:
Edit ->
UI, switch to Expert mode
Scripts ->
Create bootable (USB) disk ->
... select the disk (stick) to install on ...
It will restore the prepared DFSUSB32.IMZ image to the stick, then
RESIZE the FAT32 partition contained in there to match the size of
the stick, and update all LVM and partition info accordingly.
Afterwards all you need to do to make it fully functional is EJECT
and REINSERT, then copy the DFSEEDOS.ISO file to it, to get a FreeDOS
based stick, and optionally the Linux ISO and DFSee-linux files for
use with Linux (better performance, better USB support)
(see 'Copying the additional files to the stick ' below)
Upgrading to newer DFSee versions
=================================
Often it will be possible to just replace the 'dfseedos.iso'
file in the root of the stick, which is a single download:
http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/dfseedos.iso
And, when also using the Linux boot, update the DFSee linux files
that are in the '/dfsee/linux' directory on the stick from the
latest DFSee distribution.
HOWEVER: It is possible that the ISO does NOT want to boot
after that, due to the file being fragmented on the stick.
This is caused by other files that have been replaced, added to
or deleted from the stick. In that case it may actualy be easier
to recreate the stick from scratch, as described above.
Note for eCS users (LVM systems):
Before starting the recreating of the bootable-USB stick from
a memory stick that already has LVM info, it is advised to
use the regular LVM program to 'hide from OS/2' both partitions
on the stick. This avoids problems with the FAT32 filesystem
driver, and more specifically its caching. Another option is
to WIPE the start of the stick clean, using DFSee:
Mode=FDISK ->
Wipe start of disk to ZERO ->
... select the disk/stick ...
when in basic menu mode, or from the expert menu mode use:
Mode=FDISK ->
Partition table operations ->
Wipe start of disk to ZERO ->
... select the disk/stick ...
And after this, EJECT and REINSERT the USB stick, then start
the bootable stick creation procedure.
Note on memory stick size:
Although sizes between 128MB and hundreds of gigabytes can be
handled, USB sticks between 1GB and 32GB are known to work best
on most newer systems. Smaller ones often have problems booting,
and on larger disks, a second FAT32 data partition will be made
which does not always work well with some operating systems.
Note:
On disks/sticks > 64Gb, you will also get an additional confirmation
message/warning, since it is possible that you selected a wrong disk
to work on (like your system disk) that should not be overwritten.
Manual creation, for special cases
==================================
Although hardly ever needed now it can be done from the menu,
there may be cases where you want to have full control on how
the stick gets created. The manual procedure is quite simple:
1) Prepare the stick by wiping the start of it clean with DFSee
2) Restore the multi-ISO-boot 'dfsusb32.imz' to the memory stick
3) Resize the restored FAT32 partition to match the stick size
4) Copy the DFSee/PartedMagic ISO files and the DFSee linux files
to it so you can boot FreeDOS or Linux, and run DFSee from either.
This can be done on OS/2 or eCS (tested) and on Windows or Linux
(both untested, but procedure should be exactly the same)
The procedure in detail:
1) a - Insert the memory stick while DFSee is NOT started yet
(or the stick may not be recognized properly on OS/2)
b - Start DFSee, and verify that the USB stick is listed.
c - Wipe the start of the disk clean, to make sure no filesystem
driver will be using the stick while restoring the image.
Mode=FDISK ->
MBR or EBR area operations ->
Wipe start of disk to ZERO ->
... select the RIGHT USB disk ...
d - Quit DFSee, and eject or unmount the memory stick from the OS
2) a - Insert the memory stick again (DFSee not running)
b - Start DFSee, and verify that the USB stick is listed.
c - Restore the DFSUSB32.IMZ image to the memory stick
File ->
Open object to work with ->
disk ->
... select your memory stick disk ...
Actions ->
Restore/Compare imagefile(s) ->
to a Disk ...
Now, in the restore dialog all fields should be OK
already, since we pre-selected the disk to restore to.
The only selection you need to make here is the image
file itself to be restored, which is 'DFSUSB32.IMZ'
Upon selecting that, check the selected disk and image
again in the confirmation popup, then [Yes] to start ...
The restore should be fairly quick (a few seconds).
d - Quit DFSee, and eject or unmount the memory stick from the OS
3) a - On memory sticks smaller than 32GB, select the partition and then
use the Actions -> RESIZE operation to match the size to the stick.
Copying the additional files to the stick
=========================================
a - Insert the memory stick again (DFSee not running)
b - Download the small FreeDOS + DFSDOS ISO file directly, and copy it
to the ROOT directory of the stick (so it will be x:\dfseedos.iso).
http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/dfseedos.iso
When all you want is using the (Free)DOS version, you are done now.
OR, when you also want DFSee for the other OS versions on the stick
or want to customize it to use your personal DFSee registration:
Download the full DFSee ISO file as described below and COPY/RENAME
it to the ROOT of the stick it so it will be '\dfseedos.iso' on there.
Note: Only needed when you want to run the FreeDOS/DFSDOS version!
Can be SKIPPED if you only want to run the linux version.
ISO download from the latest release, full ISO:
http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/dfseeVVx_iso.zip
Replace the 'VV' by whatever the latest major version is, e.g. '14'
resulting in the filename 'dfsee14x_iso.zip'.
Personalize the ISO with your 'dfsee.key' registration before copying
to the stick, see instructions in 'readme.txt' that comes with the ZIP
download with the ISO file.
Without a key, the ISO is time-limited to 60 days from release.
MAKE SURE to rename the iso file to 'dfseedos.iso' on copying since
that is how it is referenced from the ISO boot selection menu.
c - ONLY WHEN YOU (also) WANT TO USE THE LINUX BOOT variant of the stick:
Copy the 'pmagic-4.10.iso' file to the ROOT directory of the stick
ISO download from: http://sourceforge.net/projects/partedmagic/files/
(Make sure you get the ISO, not one of the other variants!)
Since this version of the ISO is getting harder to find, you can also use:
http://www.dfsee.com/download/pmagic-4.10.iso
d - Copy the files for the DFSee linux version that you need to
run DFSee while booted to the Parted Magic KDE desktop.
They must be copied to the /dfsee/linux directory on the stick.
You can take the files (from DFSee version 10.1 or newer) from
the \linux directory of the dfseeVVx.zip, dfseeVVx_linux.zip or
from the DFSee CDROM. Copy these to the stick at:
D:\dfsee\linux\
When using OS/2, or Windows. With 'D:' being the sticks driveletter,
or when using Linux, to:
/media/sda1/dfsee/linux/
With /media/sda1 being the mount point for the stick (may vary).
Copy your 'dfsee.key' registration file to that same directory.
If you don't have the linux files handy, get them from:
http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/dfseeVVx_linux.zip
Instead of just the linux files, you can also copy the DFSee
files for all supported platforms to the 'dfsee' directory
on the stick. That makes them usable from OS/2 or Windows too.
One way to do that is unzip the DFSee ZIP to that directory.
You can get the complete ZIP, with all platforms from:
http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/dfseeVVx.zip
In this case, make sure you copy the 'dfsee.key' file to
each of the platform directories with the DFSee executables.
e - Eject or unmount the memory stick from the OS
Getting your system to boot from USB
====================================
Most modern systems allow booting from USB devices like memory sticks,
but you usually need to do something special to make it happen, like:
- Enable boot from USB in the BIOS
- Startup with a special key sequence, for example, on Most Thinkpads
that would be the "Access IBM" or "ThinkVantage" button, followed
by the key to select a bootable medium.
Check your systems documentation ...
Booting the FreeDOS based DFSee ISO image
=========================================
- Insert the DFSBOOTUSB memory stick
- Start the system from the USB stick
- From the ISO selection menu, choose:
Boot FreeDOS and run DFSee, select option 0 for file access to stick
(This is the default, when using the supplied 'dfseedos.iso' file)
- In the DFSee specific bootmenu select option '0'
- Answer follow-up questions with "Y" or "N" as desired.
(when in doubt, answer 'N' to skip specific drivers)
- you should end up in DFSee (DOS version)
The current directory will be the RAMDISK with letter Z:
so all files stored there will be lost when you stop.
You can store the logfiles and small images to the stick,
just find its actual driveletter from a DFSee 'part' display:
D:\logs
Note that the order of the disks, if you have more, may be
different from the order seen under OS/2 or Windows!
IMPORTANT:
When booting fails with a crash or hang-situation, retry booting,
and select option (1) or (2) instead of (0), that will bypass the
loading of specific USB drivers, and be more stable.
You will NOT be able to access USB devices thouugh.
Unfortunately, on certain systems (BIOS) the FreeDOS boot will
fail even before getting to DFSee, due to a still unsolved bug
in the FreeDOS FAT32 kernel code. This shows itself as a series
of error messages about invalid FAT passing by quickly ...
Booting the Linux PartedMagic based images
==========================================
- Insert the DFSBOOTUSB memory stick
- Start the system from the USB stick
- From the ISO selection menu, choose:
EITHER
Boot Parted Magic Linux, find DFSee icon on stick in "My Documents"
- Select "Default Settings (Runs from RAM)
- Wait until the boot reaches the graphical desktop (may take minutes!)
- Click on the "My Documents" icon to show disks and folders
OR select the Ultimate Boot CD:
Ultimate Boot CD 5.xx (incl PartedMagic 6.6, DFSee in "File Manager")
- Find the "PartedMagic" option in the UBCD menus (may need to page down)
- Wait until the boot reaches the graphical desktop (may take minutes!)
- Click on the "File Manager" icon to show disks and folders
THEN, once booted to the standalone PartedMagic, or the one on the Ultimate Boot CD:
- Locate your memory-stick in the left part of the opened window
- Click on the stick listed there (this will make it available, mount)
- In the contents shown in the right side of the window, locate the
"Start from ..." icon that has the blueish DFSee icon shown.
This can be 'from sda1' through 'from sdh1' or 'from DFSBOOTUSB'
Note that only ONE of these displayed names actually HAS an icon.
- Click this DFSee icon to start DFSee
The current directory will be /media/.../logs/ on the memory stick
so all files will be stored there by default
Note that there is NO MOUSE support in the Linux version!
Of course, once booted to the PartedMagic desktop, you can
use the other programs and tools in there too, like the
"Partition Editor" which is the 'gparted' tool and is quite
good in resizing bootable NTFS partitions or even start the
Google Chrome browser to access the WEB!
And when booting the Ultimate Boot CD, you can of course use any
of the other available tools and utilities as well!
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| WARNING: be aware that linux tools MAY do bad things to OS/2 |
| or eCS disks by writing non-standard logical partition tables,|
| sometimes erasing LVM info, so use with care! |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Updating and tweaking the bootable USB stick
============================================
Usually you can replace the ISO files in the root of the stick
to upgrade to newer version of the software, but you may run into
a problem booting, if the updated ISO file is not contiguous anymore.
This will result in an error message (error 60) during boot. This
is caused by file fragmentation, so it can be fixed by defragmenting
the stick completely, or by recreating it from scratch.
When the filename of the ISO is different, either rename them,
or update the corresponding lines in the menu.lst config file.
You can also copy the latest linux version of DFSee into
the \dfsee\linux\ directory of course.
You can also update the default line to boot in menu.lst,
and the timeout to select that default automatically.
If your stick is larger than 32 GB, the manual procedure will
create a 30672 MB primary FAT32 partition and the rest of the
stick will be unused. The procedure from the menu will add a
second data partition to that automatically, for the manual
procedure you need to do that yourself as described below.
Manual creation of a second data partition
==========================================
You can create another larger FAT32 partition there, for example
to store DFSee imagefiles from disk partitions. However, for DFSee
to 'see' the extra freespace on the stick you will have to adjust
the disk-geometry as stored in the LVM info (C:30672 H:64 S:32) to
match the real size of the memory stick. You need to know the
original size in MiB, you can use the geo command directly to
set that as the number of cylinders. For example with a 64GB stick,
netting 61234 MiB (as shown when inserted after wiping it) use:
geo 61234 64 32
Then sync this geometry into the LVM-info structure:
Mode=FDISK
OS/2 LVM and BootManager ->
Set LVM-Geo to DFSee L-Geo ->
... select the stick ...
Then stop DFSee, eject, and re-attach the stick, and on startup
DFSee should now show the correct size, with a large freespace
area at the end that you can use for another FAT32 primary ...
Note:
If you do not recall that nett size in MiB, it will be displayed
by DFSee when showing the disk geometry at startup, or when you
use the 'geo' command to display it. It looks like:
+++++++
L-Geo Disk 3 Cyl:30762 H:64 S:32 Bps:512 Size:0x1E09000 = 30762.0 MiB
S-Geo Disk 3 Cyl:61234 H:64 S:32 Bps:512 Size:0x3CA2000 = 61234.0 MiB
++++++
So, you can just take the size in MiB from this and use that in
the geometry to set as explained above.
Another possibility is start fresh, by replacing the first
steps (restore of the 32 GB imagefile DFSUSB32.IMZ) by the
normal procedure to create a multiboot ISO stick.
Note that this works on Windows only!
One advantage is that this allows adding more ISOs to the stick
and to the boot-menu for other Linux distributions, or whatever.
(although the 32GB stick will hold many other ISO's too)
You can download the Windows tools from the PenDrive site:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/
Note that this is a slightly newer version, and uses a different
mechanism to boot to Linux distribution, but it can still boot
to any ISO on the created stick too.
Step 3 (copy files) remains the same, but step 1 and 2 are different:
1) a - Partition and format the memory stick with a FAT32 primary.
You can either use a DFSee wipe + create + FORMAT here,
or just use Windows to partition and format the stick.
Note that the stick must have one PRIMARY partition, being FAT32
2) a - Run the YUMI 'Multiboot USB Creator' program, and follow directions
b - Replace the 'menu.lst' and add the K-*.desktop files in
the root of the stick, from the 'dfsusb32.zip' file from:
http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/dfsusb32.zip
Then continue with step 3 as described above.